As JEA officials convened in Atlanta on Tuesday to negotiate with potential buyers of the city-owned utility, the Jacksonville City Council spent the evening considering whether to essentially demand they come home.
But at the end of the night, the council decided to not vote on a resolution that would order JEA’s board of directors to abandon its controversial privatization efforts, according to WJCT News partner The Florida Times-Union.
Instead, they will revisit the issue when they return to City Hall in 2020 after the holidays.
The resolution’s sponsor, Councilwoman Brenda Priestly Jackson, fell short of forcing a vote on Tuesday - doing so required a 13-vote super majority to declare an emergency - but the debate that unfolded suggests JEA has tough work ahead if it’s to repair the damage created by a series of controversies in recent weeks.
“I don’t trust JEA,” said Councilman Al Ferraro, who said he wanted more time to learn about JEA’s recent missteps. “I like to give someone enough rope to hang themselves.”
An expanded version of this story that includes interviews with additional council members is at Jacksonville.com.
